The wild "Starshot" project was conceived to design a probe that could reach Proxima Centauri in about 20 years.
Although project has gone dormant, it has yielded a lot of new ideas (many not widely shared, alas) about how to build a viable interstellar probe.
https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2026/03/10/starshot-is-a-success-part-ii/ #space #science #technology